The parade committee announced through its website that the event, traditionally planned for the first Saturday in March, can’t be done on a Wednesday night, as Mayor Dawn Zimmer had suggested last year.

The weekday move was prompted by the 2011 parade’s debauchery, which resulted in 34 arrests and nearly 296 citations, officials said. There were reports of public urination, sexual assaults, property damage and more.

The committee called the proposed move “insulting” and “unreasonable.” Spokesman Bob Coughlin noted that revelers aside, even parade participants and band members would not be able to leave work for a weeknight parade.

The committee also blamed the city’s “inability to protect ... spectators, bands and participants” in a note on its website.

Zimmer said the parade committee repeatedly tried to fight the weekday move, most recently in a December meeting with her. Zimmer stuck by her decision, however, citing her commitment to public safety.

“I spoke to families who told me they don’t feel comfortable walking outside with their kids,” said Zimmer. “Residents here feel they have to sit out in front of their homes to protect them.”

She said the city still plans to have top-level security in place for both the old parade day, which would have been March 3, and St. Patrick’s Day itself.

Like last year, Zimmer said, all 136 of Hoboken’s police officers, as well as officers from other agencies like the State Police, county Sheriff’s Office, police from surrounding municipalities, New Jersey Transit and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police will be on duty. The extra security, she said, cost the city more than $150,000 last year.

The city will also plan its own event to honor Irish heritage, Zimmer said, but no details have been finalized.

No matter what other events are planned, local businesses that profited heavily from the parade bars, restaurants, decoration stores, etc. are disappointed and unsure whether people will still come out.

Benny Tudino, the owner of the Washington Street pizza shop that boasts it’s the “home of the largest slice,” said Zimmer was “making a big mistake.”

“If the car isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” he said. “If she doesn’t listen to the people, she’s not going to get votes.”

More than 3,000 votes had been cast by press time last night in The Jersey Journal’s poll on nj.com on whether people agree with the decision to cancel the parade. Some 61 percent of those voting opposed the cancellation.

Local residents were displeased by both the parade’s previous negative impact on citizens and its cancellation.

“It’s not gonna make a difference,” said Jay Ball, 30, also of Hoboken. “People are still going to come, get really drunk and trash the town. It’s disappointing, but unfortunately the parade seems to have brought out the worst in the city.”

“It’s always good to promote the city to outside people,” said Basel Andrews, 29, a two-year city resident. “The benefits of having the event far outweigh the cost of having it.”